This is a really easy recipe for how to make gravy using just water. The secret is to use both chicken AND beef stock cubes for the best flavour and a nice deep brown colour. Takes 4 minutes flat, tastes like KFC gravy – but so much better. No pan drippings required.
Made a turkey and want a gravy? Use my Gravy for Turkey recipe!
Gravy
This gravy recipe tastes like what you get in those tubs of KFC Potato and Gravy. Those of you who abstain from all forms of fast food may not know what it tastes like. But all you need to know is that it’s everything that you’d expect from KFC – reliably tasty, well seasoned, can make anything delicious!
The secret ingredient that makes this gravy better is to use both chicken AND beef stock cubes (bouillon cubes).
What you need for gravy
Here’s all you need to make a really great gravy from scratch: chicken and beef stock cubes, butter and flour.
Chicken AND beef stock cubes (aka bouillon cubes) – for flavour and colour. Chicken is the base flavour, beef gives it oomph and gives it a nice deep brown colour rather than an unappetising pale brown. Using both also makes this gravy suitable to use for any protein – white meats (chicken, pork), red meats (beef, lamb, game), potato and vegetables. Can substitute with powder;
Hot water – to dissolve the cubes;
Flour – to thicken the gravy (gluten free cornflour/cornstarch sub in the recipe notes);
Onion or garlic powder – optional, for hint of extra flavour.
Why stock cubes instead of liquid stock/broth?
Great question! 🙂 Stock cubes and powder have a more intense flavour than liquid stock (broth), so they make a tastier gravy when you make gravy from scratch like in this recipe.
Liquid broth is more appropriate to use when you’re making gravy starting with pan drippings from roasts – because the pan drippings add extra flavour into the gravy.
How to make gravy in 4 minutes flat
Dissolve stock cubes or powder in boiling water;
Melt butter in saucepan and mix in flour;
Pour in stock water while whisking and cook 1.5 minutes until thickened. DONE!
PS The reason this is faster than most gravy recipes is because the water is already HOT and the flavour is already concentrated so there’s no need to cook down for flavour.
Now, douse everything and anything with it.
Oh, and here’s the photo that started it all – Fried Chicken. Upon spying this, there were many (many) (MANY!) requests for the potato and gravy recipe.
All the possibilities….!!!
Here’s some suggestions for dishes to serve with gravy. Some obvious ones, some not so obvious ones, all good!
Potato and gravy – KFC style! Dunk in Fried Chicken, warm bread rolls or bread (try this No Yeast Irish Soda Bread!), hot chips, wedges, serve on the side of sausages, as part of a Southern Dinner with BBQ Pulled Pork, any roast;
Roasts – any and all!
Rotisserie chicken dinner – make a meal out of a store bought roast chicken. Steam some veg, make some mash, douse everything with this gravy!
Steamed vegetables – guaranteed way to make bland, boring steamed veg completely scoff worthy;
Pan seared chops, steaks or anything – chicken, lamb, pork, beef! Sprinkle with salt and pepper, pan fry in butter or oil, douse with gravy;
Meatballs – Make these Beef meatballs or these Chicken Meatballs, skip the sauce and serve with this gravy instead;
Poured over an omelette;
Chicken Rolls – shred chicken, toss with gravy, pile generously onto hot rolls;
As a Sauce for any of these:
Use gravy as a sauce for these dishes
I need to stop. There’s too many possibilities!
But enough about my ideas. Tell me what YOU douse with gravy!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Gravy recipe (tastes like KFC – but a million times better!)
Ingredients
- 1 chicken stock cube / bouillon cube (sub 2 tsp powder) (Note 1)
- 1 beef stock cube / bouillon cube (sub 2 tsp powder) (Note 1)
- 2 1/4 cups (565ml) boiling water
- 60g/ 4 tbsp butter , unsalted
- 4 tbsp flour , plain / all purpose
- 1/2 tsp onion powder (ok to omit or sub garlic powder)
- 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
- Salt , if needed
Instructions
- Crumble cubes into boiling water, mix to dissolve.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add flour, onion powder and pepper. Mix into butter with a wooden spoon or whisk.
- While stirring, slowly pour in half the liquid. Once incorporated into the flour butter roux (it will thicken quickly), add remaining liquid and mix.
- Stir for 1.5 – 2 minutes until it thickens to a gravy consistency (it's quick as water is already hot). Taste, add more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve over chops, steak, sausages, veggies, roast chicken, pork, beef, lamb. Pictured – KFC Potato and Gravy copycat!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Even at the vet, all he can think about is FOOD. Just like his owner 😂
PS Nothing major, just getting an old-man wart removed that had grown quite large and was bothering him. He was, of course, a total sook once he realised he was there for more than just pats and treats. Quivering and pressing up against me for protection!
I never give 5 stars but this recipe is great! You are correct, better than KFC & Perfection for me!😁 Reminds me of home, when my mother would say, “Warms your innerds” lol she’s from St. Louis!
I never give 5 stars but this recipe is great! You are correct, better than KFC & Perfection for me!😁
This one impressed my brothers who used to be cooks in a diner.
This recipe is the easiest, most flavorful gravy that I’ve had in such a long time. The only thing I added was salt because I used no salt butter and no salt bouillon. In addition I added a 1/4 tsp of poultry seasonings
Tastes just like advertised and had everything on hand. I only added a splash of Worcestershire sauce and used 1/4 teaspoon each of onion and garlic powder.
I have been making this gravy recipe for about 2 years now and let me tell you it is phenomenal!!! Literally every time I need a gravy this is my go to. I even make this for my thanksgiving gravy! And everyone always asks for the recipe. I am so glad I found this because I can not live with out it and it’s so simple to make! If you are on the fence about what gravy to make, just make this one, you won’t be disappointed.
Recipe was great! I used different bullion cube brand and added some garlic powder, a touch of salt, and thyme and it was perfect. Thanks!
This recipe is definitely a keeper.
I rarely roast a big enough chicken to make a decent amount of gravy so this recipe will more than satisfy my occasional fries and gravy cravings. Thanks!
I made this with your oven-baked chicken & Rice recipe.
This was the absolute hit on my side of the pond!
Thank you for this recipe.
First time making gravy from scratch! I added mushrooms and it was to die for 😍😍😍
OMG, I can’t believe how easy this was with such few ingredients I always have on hand. Delicious! Definitely a keeper recipe to be used time and time again. Unbelievable.
Forgot to add the stars ✨ ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Makes a wonderful chicken & gravy roll 🙂
My 6 year old kid is a picky eater, and i have tried making mashed potato for him on multiple occasions without much success, he took a taste of this gravy and declared “its the same taste like the one at the restaurant (hilton orchard SG), finally a gravy that meets his standards. Thank u!
Can I make this with chicken stock instead of water?
That’s what you need to use with the hot water, chicken stock cube and a beef stock cube. Adds all the flavour.
O~M~G !!! This is Best of Gravy sauce ever !
Never think about Chicken and Beef bouillon ! Thank you so much !
Tried this recipe and it was delicious. Exactly as quoted in the title! It was quick and easy and went well with my cubesteak and rice! Thanks for sharing!
I used the microwave as my stove top isn’t good. Melted the butter in a Jug, added flour, mixed, poured in the boiling water with the bouillon, stirred. Microwaved a couple of minutes until it thickened nicely. Stirred, bit more in the microwave… Lovely. A really nice recipe.
This was quite easy to pull off on the first go, including getting the roux going with corn starch for a gluten free version. Awesome outcome despite using el cheapo bullion cubes (thanks Knorr) that I had lying around. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Made this twice and threw it out. Was lacking in any real flavour hence why I made it a second time but was the same. Disappointing
benefits by substituting a goodly slurp of red wine as part of the liquid, and an extra beef stock cube and a couple of generous dashes or worcestershire sauce
Try adding a splash of (good quality) fish sauce.
I found that the kick of umami was the game changer.
Red wine isn’t going to make any difference to the flavour at that stage, if anything it will make it worse.
This gravy is lush and delicious . I am not a fan of Dirty Bird (what our family calls KFC 🤣) but this gravy was the yummiest I’ve had. Nagi you are the best!